Coupling



' ber Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUPLING Albert 'r. Scheiwer, Erie, Pa.

Application May 21, 1945, Serial. No. 594.929

1 2 Claims. This invention relates generally to couplings and more particularly to quickly attachable and detachable snap-type couplings.

Previous couplings have required manual manipulation of locking sleeves and the like in order to connect the male and female members thereof. These prior couplings have been found inadequate for use in airplanes where a quick connection to an oxygen mask must be made with heavy mittens which must be perfectly sealed and which must swivel for efllcient operation.

It is. accordingly, an object of my invention to overcome the above and other defects in present type couplings and it is more particularly an obiect of my invention to provide a snap-type coupling which is simple in construction, economical in cost, economical in manufacture, and emcient in operation.

Another obiect of my invention is to provide a quickly attachable and detachable coupling which can be connected by merely inserting the male member into the female member and which can be disconnected by merely pulling the male member out of the female member.

Other objects of my invention will become evident from the following detailed .description, taken in comunction with the accompanying drawings. in which a Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing my novel coupling connected to. an oxy en mask.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of my novel coupling with parts broken away.

.Fig.8isaviewtakenonthe linel-I oflimfl. andnovel coupling with another form of spring mem- Referring now to the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show a male member I anda female member 2. The male member I has a connecting portion 3 with a peripheral groove 4, a reduced end portion I, and a shoulder I. The female member 2 comprises an inner shell or sleeve I having radially extending ball-retaining apertures 8, an inner groove I, an internally threaded portion II; and a shoulder ii: an attaching member I! having a threaded portion It for engaging the threaded portion It of the sleeve I, a hose connecting portion l4 for receiving a hose II and a shoulder II: and an internally grooved outer sleeve ii. A flat spring member ii is disposed over the apertures I to lock ball members It into locking engagement with the groove 4 on the connecting portion 3 of male member i. The spring member i1 is crimped at it which engages a slot ii in the sleeve 1 to prevent the rotation of the spring II. A washer 22 with an internal tapered portion s'ealingly engages the end porgaa: 0;! the male member I when connected as Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of my 85 2 A check valve 23 with radially extending flns 24 and outwardly projecting tubular portions 25 with apertures II is disposed in the female member 2. A spring 21 urges the check valve 2! against the washer 22 to seal the female memher 2 when disconnected.

In operation, the connecting portion 3 of the male member i is inserted into the female member I as shown in Fig. 2 wherein the ball members I! are forced outwardly against the spring I8 and then the bail members I! drop into the groove 4 in the connecting portion I of the male member I and the spring it forces the ball members it into the groove 4 to connect the male and female members i and 2 together. The male member i is merely pulled from the female member 2 to disconnect them.

Fig. 4 shows a flat screw member ill held against rotation by the screw member 6| disposed in the groove 4' in the sleeve 4! shown in Figs. 4 and 5 instead of the coil spring I. The operation is the same.

It will be evident from the foregoing that I have provided a very simple coupling member which may be connected and disconnected by merely inserting into or pulling from the female member its mating male member witha check valve automatically sealing the female member when disconnected.

Various changes may be made in the specific embodiment of my invention without departing from the spirit thereof, or from the scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is:

- 1. A coupling comprising a male member hava a member externally of said sleeve forming with said sleeve an annular groove and a flat annular-shaped spring for disposal in said groove and in engagement with the outer periphery of said inner sleeve adapted to engage said ballmembers 5 and force them inwardly.

aacouplingassetforthinclaimiwherein means are provided for holding said spring mem-.

ber against rotation in said annular groove.-

- ALBERT 'r. SCHEIWER.

REFERENCES crran The. following references are of record in the =flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,754,689 Meyer Apr. 15, 1980 2,069,377 Matthicssen Feb. 2. 1987 2,086,589 Meyer July 18, 1987 

